Automatic train-control device



' Aug. '418, 1925.4

C. C. FARMER AUTOMATIC TRAIW CONTROL DEVICE Filed sept. 30. 1924 ATTORNE speed of `the vehicle. The p governor hallsY 1 act to impart longitudinal movement to arrod Patented Aug. 18, 1925 fsrmres im riem orifice.

u GLYDE' 0.1 FARMER, :on PITTSBURGH, PENN-srnvnnrn, nssielvon *To 'THE 'WESTING- @HOUSEfAIRBRAKEGOMPANY, on WI-mvrnnniive, rENNsYLvANIA,"A oonronATIoN u; OF PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC TEAINLCNTROLDEVICE.

a diagrammaticvievv,'partly in section, oi a train control :apparatus emloodyingl my in- `vention;` and Fig.2 a section on the line 11242 ofnig. i.

JAe vshovvn in' the dra'vving, the apparatus may comprise a Vspee'dgov'ernor having gov ernorballs'l contained in a casing "2 and adapted tokloerotated by`a"drive'shailt 3, said drive V-fshaft being operatively connected up so as' to rotate at a' Speed: proportional to'the l, in ,proportion tothe increase in thel speed ofthe train andi said 'rodi isprovided With'. a rack Y5, the teeth'of which mesh VWith 'a pin- .ion`16, sotliatthe pinion' is" rotated inaccordance Wfithl the eitent'the' roda is moved longitudinallyand' therefore inA proportion to `the speed of "the train.

Ther'drive shaft 3 islpro'vided 'with a Worin f7 vvhieh engagestl'ieteethof a Worm v*Wheel 18 sothat the Worm 'Wheel rotatesW'l'ienl the (drive .Sliaft`3`rotates- -Thepvvorm WheelfSis "rotatably mounted fon thelpiston rodl 9 Y off a piston11d-and saidfpiston'is contained in al vpiston hamber 1130i teasing-12.

Carried at theoute'r' end of thepiston rod `9 is a L friction "di'skl, adapted upon longitudinlal movement of 'the piston folate to ffrictonllye'ngage theadjacent face ofthe vvheel 8. `A coilspprimnglr'/ surrounds apo'nA tion of the 4rodA `9 Within 'the "casing 12' and gacts" on Va collar '125A 'secured' to Said rod, so thatthe spring tends'to 'shift the rod 9 to `-,the knight"and tglierehycause thelfriction' disk `1"3jto engage the Worrnf'vvheel 8.

A broke `oppli-cati,on volvo device V"is proconnected to pipe 23.

vided 'comprising a casing lhaving a piston chamber 172 ycontaining a piston 18 and fa valve Chamber 19 containing ai slide valve'20 adapted to he operated hy'pistonil. Y' The opera-'tionof piston 18 iS` eileetedfhy venting *iiuid under pressure from pistonichainloer17 through-the operation of a vent "valve V21 contained; in a valve chamber 22"Which "fis piston 'chamber 17 through The Eusual brake pipe 24 leadS to?V the* seat of slide valve 2O and When theslide vali/e120 is moved to the left, `said `pipe is connected through cavity 25 with an exhaust port 26, so that the lorakeV pipe pressiiref-isthenreducedv and `an application `of the `brakes is 'thereby effected in the usual'rnanner.

` A lever` arm 27 is providedforoperating the valve 212 and ea'idarm is pivtallvconneoted to one end offa` connecting rod 28; lthe `other end of said rodibeing pivotallyeon- "ne'cted to tliefrictio'n disk 13. .Onef'endfof the `lever `ar1nf27 is adapted to 'engagetlie stem* of the valve"21andt-he' other"end`is "provided withV a member 29 adapted to'engage acam 30 carried ley" androtatingwifth the pinion 6. A spring'lacts on thel lever arni l27 "and, through the l'rod-28,1j normally maintains the vfriction fdisk 313 "ini the position shown in the* "dra-Wing.

'For controllingithe apparatus 'in'V acer'd- `anoe'vvith the signal indication, a magnet valve 'device 1s 'provided comprising 'a-rinap'- '1 net 32 and valves 33 and 34 adaptedlto'he controlled hy? said magnet. AWhen `the train isoperating' undera clear `signal indication, the' magnet 321s energized, so that the valve 553i is held' olosed andthevalve Seis held ,open. Fluidun'der pressure is thensupplied from a fluidsupply pipe V3,5 pastt'heopn valve 34E to pipe 36 Which'leadsto the''seat of application `sl`idev`alve 20. rvThe' valve chain- "h'er 19 of theapplication valve devi'c'e is stip plied vith fluid under `pressure fro`n1fpipef37 'and with rpifston '18 in "releasefpsi'tion, "as 'fshown 'in the drawing, "fluid equaliies :uoooghoj food groove ee around pieton ue topiet'onchamher 17. n Inl the release po'sitionf of^slidevalve 20,

"Seo

running in a` clear block, fluid under pressure is supplied to piston chamber 11 and the piston 10 is thereby maintained in the position shown, with the friction disk 13 out of engagement with the Worm Wheel 8.

It the tral'lic conditions should change, the magnet 32 Will be deenergized and this Will cause the valve 34 to be seated and the valve 33 to unseat. Fluid under pressure will then be vented from pipe 3G to the exhaust port 41 and also from piston chamber 11, so that spring 14 acts to shift the piston 1() and the rod 9 to the right, causing the friction disk 13 to engage the Worm Wheel 3. The Worm Wheel 3 is continually rotating with the governor drive shatt 3 at a speed proportional to the speed ot the train, so that When the friction disk 13 engages the Worm Wheel, said disk Will also be rotated at the same speed, the extent of rotation, however, being limited by the engagement of a pin 42 carried by the rod 9 With a stop 43 carried by the end of the casing 12, such rotative movement being about one-halt of a revo- -lution.

The pinion 6 is rotated according` to the speed of the train and the consequent extent of the longitudinal movement of the rod 4 and the cam 30 is correspondingly rotated. r1`he operation of the arm 27 by the rotation of the disk 13 to open the valve 21 depends upon the engagement of the member 29 on the cam 30, since the cam acts as a ulcrum for the lever arm 27, and it Will be evident that the higher the speed o1' the train, the greater the extent of rotation ot the pinion 6 and the cam 30 and the lesser distance the member 29 must move before it engages the cam. `When the member 29 engages the cam 30, the cam acts as a tulcrum for the arm 27, so that further movement ot the lever arm 27 by the further rotation of the disk 13 Will cause the lever arm to engage the stem of the valve 21 and open the valve so as to vent fluid under pressure from the piston chamber 17.

Ihen lluid is vented from piston chamber 17, the piston 13 is shifted to its outer position in which the cavity 25 in slide valve 2O connects the brake pipe 24 with exhaust port 26, so that fluid is vented from the bra-ke pipe to etlect an application of the brakes in the usual manner.

In the application position o1c slide valve 20, a port 44 registers with pipe 40, so that fluid under pressure is supplied from valve chamber 19 to pipe 40 and the piston cham ber 11. The piston 10 is then shifted to its outer position, causing` disengagement of the friction disk 13 With the Worm Wheel 8. The pin 42 is then shifted out ot engagement with the stop 43 and the spring 31 acts Y through the rod 28 to return the disk 13 to its norma-l position, as shovvn in the drawing.

In application position, a passage 45,1eading to piston chamber 17, is connected through cavity 46 in slide valve 2O With pipe 36, so that piston chamber 17 Will be maintained atatmospheric pressure, so long as the magnet 32 remains deenergized with the valve 33 open. Then the magnet 32 is again energized, the valve 33 will be seated and the valve 34 unseated, so as to supply fluid under pressure to piston chamber 17 and thereby elect the movement ot piston 13 to release position.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a train control device, the combination With means tor effecting an application of the brakes, of mechanism movable at a speed proportional to the speed of the train for operating said brake applying means, and means movable according to the speed of the train for influencing the movement o1 said mechanism to determine the time period before said brake applying means is actuated by said mechanism.

2. In a. train control device, the combination with a valve and means controlled by said valve for effecting an application of the brakes, of mechanism set in motionupon a change in the signal indication and including a member adapted to engage said valve and a cam positioned according to the speed ot the train and adapted to act as a :tulcrum for said member to cause said member to operate said valve.

3. In a train control device, the combination With a valve and means controlled by said valve for effecting an application of the brakes, ot a member movable to engage said valve, means movable at a speed proportional to the speed of the train for moving said member, a cam acting as a ulcrum for said member, and means operated according to the speed of the train for determining the ulcrum position of said cam.

4. In a train control device, the combination with a valve and means controlled by said valve for effecting an application ot the brakes, of a member tor operating said valve, a rotatable element operatively connected to said member, mechanism rotating at a speed proportional to the speed of the train, and means operating upon a change in the signal indication for operatively connecting said element to said mechanism.

5. In a train control device, the combination with a valve and means controlled by said valve for effecting an application oit the brakes, of a member for operating said valve, a rotatable element operatively connected to said member, a cam movable to different positions according to the speed of the train and engageable by said member, mechanism rotating at a speed proportional to the speed of the train, and means operatingl upon a change in the signal indication for operatively connecting` said element to said mechanism.

6. ln a train control device, the combination with means for el'ecting an application of the brakes and mechanism operating upon a change in the signal indication for operating said means, of means 'li'or delaying the operation of said brake applying means for a period oit time inversely proportional to the speed oi: the train, and means for reducing said time period, the higher the speed oi the train.

7. In a train control device, the combination with means for effecting an application 01"', the brakes, of slow acting mechanism for controlling the operation of said means, a clutch device, and means operated upon a change in the signal indication for operating said clutch device to cut said mechanism into action.

8. ln a train control device, the combination with a brake application valve device, of slow actingl mechanism for controlling the operation of said valve device, means operating` upon a change in the signal indication or operating said clutch device to cut said mechanism into action and means controlled by said valve device for operating said clutch device to cut said mechanism ont of action.

9. In a train speed control device, the combination with means for eecting` an application oi the brakes,of a rotating member, mechanism for operating said means and including a rotatable member, and means operated upon a change in the signal indication for operatively connecting said members.

l0. In a train speed control device, the combination with means for effecting an application ol" the brakes, of a rotating member, mechanism for operating said means and .including a rotatable member, Ameans operated upon a change in the, signal indication for operatively connecting said members, and means operated according to the speed of the train lor varying the time interval of said mechanism.

. In testimony whereoil l have hereunto set my hand.

CLYDE C. FARMER. 

